Control device for vehicle suspension system



Au'g. 24, 1960 H. H. DEIST CONTROL DEVICE FOR VEHICLE SUSPENSION SYSTEM Filed April 4, 1956 Au@ 2, 1950 H. H. DEls-r 2,947,531

CONTROL DEVICE FOR VEHICLE SUSPENSION SYSTEM 2 sheetssheet 2 Filed April 4, 1956 "faverage air spring length jor `to exteii'cl or raise, and th'ereffor'egairf y i Aor vented from within the air spring to restore fit jioits lilitill I! tirongfor controlling and 'regu 'be' a onstaat Ariding leveljor theve @Mannenstem tlaingffliiar trolling and d'r auseilt RSI?4 fg must be" Xhausted Si The `-operation of Lthe It lis therefore `an an firnproved pneurnatic susp n 'systemgfor eh les,

*-l ares Patiit which system includes irnproved valve Aa`1'1`c`1 valve zconyaverage air spring length under varying static load corid- Anotherobject is to .proyidean fim ro' cl-valve, and controlmeans for control andire'gulaion o f avehicle Jair; Spring suspension ,which @web thafsupply 'and eX- hust lof air to thewair spring and`is ope y niesxoftemperature, humidity and other enviro y L i Yental conditions. .,A furthe? @bied iS ,t0-Prende@.lmprovedvalve and 'vewhe'nthe i `vehicle isnotzin motionevengunder e re the invention confastened by invention; l.

FigTv ZiSn'enlarged fragmentary View, similar toFig. l, ofthe valve and control nieans; i A, `Figr.. 3 \,isA ra Afragmentary view showing a portion of the valve and control meansin an air supply or operative and control means in aninoperatiVe condition, as when the vehiclelis in motion; and I A .lig :isan enlarged sectional View of `a controldevice valve housing, showing the valve and control means in an operative condition. Y

in the `prs'eent invention, acontrol-device, indicated in its Aentirety-by the, numeral 10, includes opposed coaxial valve housings 11E and 11S,l and a base 12. The control` deviceis located remotely and laterally of a convntionalyair spring bellows 13, of mutli-ply rubber and corerconstruction and having one or more convolutions \1 {l The upper end of the air spring is hermetically a suitable clamp ring 15 to the underside ofa horizontal Itransverse member 16 constituting a, p ortion of `the vehicle frame, `'1"he11nen1ber 16 is securely `afl'Xfd at `citherjend to `longitudinal frame membersl?.

The lowerjendof the `air spring 1 3 is also hermetically fastened by a similar clamp ring 18 to the axle housing V19 of the Vehicle road gear. ne modeof interposing an airspring betweena vehicle frame and roadgear has been shownandjdescribed. lt WiILbeunderstood, however, that th'eprinfpls Off the invention are applicable to ai r springsA interposed in other ways between the `f rarne .and road gear- .1 J A lS.0,4 only` 0ne.'.:a.ir ,-Spri11g haisfubec showny in. connection with this jinventiorn;4 but. itLWll f be Qnderstoodthat thejnventonmay be utilized with as manyijair springs'as are requiredon a vehicle. j A s tubjange 20, `which may b etlocated atop the v e hi cle dierential housing 21, has a bolt 22 therethrough, which bolt extends through, an elongated longitudinal,slot 23,-fonned i in the lower Tend; ofL a lcontrol t valve `actuating ro'd 214, soithat: rod 24 is slidably mountedontbolt 2 2. .The upperend of theactuating rojd is, xed toone -end of an Oscillatablecontfol valve Aactuating member `2 5.

The lopposed coaxial` housings 11E:f andA 11S aregprefer'ably 1octed wbove and, t'o the, ont ofthe horizontal planeof `the axle and are'fas'tened by bolts 27, ,extending through suitable mountinganges 28, 'to-Tone of the lon- Ygitudin'al)fraudernernbers 1 7 The plate I2 `is secured, preferablyby welding,`to the same `1'r"1ember 17, hen'eat'h the housings 11. t

fronte-storage' source Linder-'pressure (notfshwn )l, 1s supplied to the 'air supply housing 11S of thercontl device `10 by suitable'pipingtl below the baise 412`"and having K check `valve (not shows )1 `rhefeing`fofhat ai'r .cannot ba'ck out.Y "After passage through 'theu hbursin'g 11s, as described biow,q the air-asses ihr' gh 'rhefpfp ing 31 empale hoping, waren is ill emi f' "bltffll'VS/"SA toQ a' f air spring 'i'yt'tifgn 33 wlnc tlshqh. @et-fami mail?" 'fntfbie @isser s Eirliaust air from `theair spring `o'ugh 1th.. Piping 32 into when lengthiof pipingt, atoprth .air `exhaust housing 11E, through'the -housing 11E, a s `described below, and vents tofthe the piping 35, below the base 12;" "Ihus, the iittingl, pipig sz', pipig 34, housing `511B 1aan 4'piping s aeree tion wlth atmosphere." through 3 the conduit by which air is exhausted from within the air spring 13.

Referring to Fig. 2, the actuating member 25 extends longitudinally of the base plate 12 and is journaled, so as to oscillate between thev housings 11E and 11S, in a bracket 37 affixed to the underside of the base plate. Extending upwardly through a longitudinal slot 38 in `the base plate is an actuating lever 25' which, in response to the movement of member 25 as caused by the actuating rod 24, selectively actuates the valves within cap 42, has a similar bore 43a. Fitted within the bore 41, and slidable therein, is a plunger 45. The plunger has a medial circumferential channel or groove 46 and is fitted at either end with peripheral O-rings 47 to provide a fluid tight seat. Extending longitudinally from the plunger 45 and outwardly through bore 42a in the cap is a plunger actuating rod 4S. Extending longitudinally from the other end of the plunger and outwardly through bore `43a in the end wall 43 of the body 40 is a plunger locking rod V49. A coiled spring 50` is seated within bore 41, surrounding Vrod 49 and normally biases the plunger 45 to a position in abutting con tact with the inside of the end cap 42.

Within ythe body 4t), and communicating with the groove A46 around the plunger 45, is a short vertical bore 51,

into the upper end of which is inserted a fitting 52. In housing 11S, the fitting 52 is connected with the supply piping 31. In housing 11E, the fitting 52 is connected with the exhaust piping 34. On the underside of the body 40, opposite of the bore 51, is a similar bore 53 into the lower end of which is inserted a fitting 54. In housing 11S, the fitting 54 is connected with the supply piping 30. In

housing 11E, the fitting 54 is connected with the exhausty piping 35. Y

` The locking means to prevent operation ofthe device when the vehicle is in motion is indicated generally by the numeral 55. `The locking means 55 is preferably in the form of an iniiatable, resilient ring 56 fitted around a core plug 57. The plug 57 is secured to the rod 49 between an end plate S8 and the end wall 43 of the body 40. Suitable piping 59 connects the inflatable ring 56 to a source of fluid under pressure (air or hydraulic, not shown) which causes the ring to become inated, when the vehicle is in motion. As described below, inflation of the ring 56 causes the plunger 45 to move transversely of bores 51 and 53 (to the left, as viewed in Fig. 5), thus preventing any flow of air through the fittings 52 and 54.

It will beV apparent that the locking means 55 may also be a suitable electrical means, such as a solenoid,A which will function to render the control device inoperative, as described below, when the vehicle is in motion.

The operation of the control Ydevice 10 is as follows:

When the vehicle is in motion, fiuid under pressure is supplied, through the piping 59 to the ringsV 56, which are thus inflated, moving the plungers 45 to an inoperative position and retracting the actuating rods 48 inwardly of the housings 11E land 11S (Fig. 4) a distance sufficient so that the maximum movement of the member 25 and lever 25' will not actuate the valves. f j

Now then, assume that the vehicle comes to rest and assume, also, that the static load is increased, for yexthe frame members 15 and 16 move upwardly away from the axle housing 19,V causing the air spring 13 to. ex-

ample, by adding merchandise 01 passengers to the v'eplungers 45 are urged by the springs 50 toward the end caps 42, which is also an inoperative position. As the load is increased the upper frame members 15 and 16 move downwardly toward the axle housing 19, causing the air spring 13 to contract. During Ithis downward movement of the frame members, the control device 10 also moves downwardly causing the actuating member 25 to be turned by the actuating Irod 24, the lower end of which is slidably attached to the differential housing, to permit sliding movement of the rod as the device moves downwardly. Y v

As vviewed in Fig. l, an increased load would cause the member 25 and lever 25' to oscillate in au clockwise direction toward housing 11S; As the lever 125 is oscillated clockwise, the plunger rod 48, which has been urged outwardly of the port body 40 by the spring 50, will be displaced inwardly causing -the groove 46 in the plunger 45 to become in communication with the bores 5"-1 and Y 53 (Fig. 5). Thus, the plunger 45 is now in an operative position and additional air is free to pass through the piping 30, fitting 54, bore 53, groove 46, bore 51, tting 52, piping 31, piping 32 and fitting 33, into the air spring 12. This additional air must be under a greater pressure than the air already in the air spring 13, and will extend the air spring to its initial position.

As the air spring extends, the upper frame members 15 and 16 move upwardly from the axle housing causing member 25 to be oscillated in a counter-clockwise direction as Viewed in Fig. 1. As thelever 25 begins to assumerthe normal position (Fig. 1), the spring 50 will urge the plunger 45 toward the inoperative position adjacent the end cap 42 and the groove 46 will no longer be in communication with the bores 51 and 53 and the flow of air will cease.

If the static load on the vehicle suspension is decreased,

tend. During this upward movement of the frame members, the control device 10 also moves upwardly, causing member 25 to be turned by rod 24, in a counterclockwise direction as viewed inFig. 1, said rod sliding with*y respect to theV bolt 23 as the device 10 moves upy wardly.

As the member 25 is oscillated counter-clockwise on its axis, the plunger rod 48 within housing 11E will be movedinwardly (Fig. 4), moving the plunger 45 to an operative position and causingV air to be exhausted Vfrom the air spring 12, through fitting 33, piping 32, piping 34, iitting 52, boreSl, groove 46, bore 53fitt-ing54 and piping 35, to the atmosphere. This exhaust of lair will restore the air spring 12 to its initial position.

A shut oi valve (not shown) can be provided in the air spring line 34 so that an operator can shut ofi the line when raising the vehicle by a bumper jack to remove a tire.

While'a preferred embodiment of Ythe invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that changes and modications may be madetherein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim. l

What is claimed is: A. A.

Control means for regulation of the supply and exhaust of air to and from the expansible bellows for. a vehicle suspension system to maintain a predetermined comprising, a member adapted to be journaled on said .frame and adapted for Vrotation by relative movement ,between the road gear and frame of the vehicle, an oscillative lever carried by and extending generally upwardly from said member, two housings adapted'to be coaxially secured to said frame'with one each on Yopposite sidesof said lever, each housing having walls defining a longitudinal bore with closed'ends and two aligned conduits 'extending radially of said bore through'a housingwall,

an air-tight plunger slidable in each housing bore having a circumferential groove for simultaneous' registration with said conduits, said conduits adapted to communicate with said bellows when in registry with said groove, an actuating rod secured to adjacent ends of each of said plungers and projecting through a bore end of each housing toward said lever and a locking rod secured to the opposite ends of each plunger and projecting through the opposite bore end of each housing, and an inatable ring surrounding each rod longitudinally of the housing for maintaining said plunger groove in unregistered relation with said conduits.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Baird et al. Jan. 2, 1917 Schmidt Mar. 15, 1921 Feller Oct. 17, 1922 Beacroft Sept. 14, 1943 Krotz et a1. Dec. 18, 195.1 Eggenberger Apr. 21, 1953 Rossman Feb. 23, 1954 Nallnger Aug. 24, 1954 MacDut Dec. 18, 1956 Jackson Apr. 2, 1957 

